Benjamin Maddin Phillips

Benjamin Maddin Phillips III died peacefully on April 5, 2019, in Titusville, Florida after a lengthy illness. Maddin was born Feb 23, 1931 in Cookeville, Tennessee, the son of Benjamin Maddin Phillips II and Elsie Young Phillips, and spent his teen years in Nashville, Tennessee. He was preceded in death by his wife, Emily Caldwell Phillips of Nashville. Maddin’s life was full and varied. He attended Vanderbilt University and Peabody Teacher’s College, earning BA and MS degrees in Education. During that time he made many close friends in Nashville who had maintained contacts for over 60 years. He enlisted in the Tennessee National Guard at the age of 17 and was subsequently accepted to Officer’s Candidate School and the US Army, ultimately retiring at the ripe old age of 37 as Colonel, US Army Reserve. His Army career included assignments in in the Ordnance Corps, a command at the White Sands Missile Proving Grounds, and a Cold War tour of duty in Germany. A life-long outdoorsman, Maddin was a crack shot, and led an Army marksmanship team, attending many competitions in the US and Europe. Following his retirement from active duty, Maddin and Emily retired in Titusville, Florida, where he lived for over 40 years. In those pre-NASA days, Brevard County was a sportsman’s paradise. He liked to point out that he could shoot ducks on the Indian River in the morning, and fish in the surf at the beach in the afternoon. Maddin immersed himself in the community; he taught mathematics in Titusville High School, served on the Board of Community Credit Union of Florida, attended St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church, and accumulated a huge group of Titusville friends, many of whom benefitted from his assistance with investment and tax questions. He was an enthusiastic and generous supporter of the SPCA of Brevard, where he found his beloved life companion Rex. His quiet generosity was experienced by many friends and extended family members who received “donations” for projects, rewards, or just gifts. A graveside service will be held at Mt. Olivet Funeral Home in Nashville, Tennessee. Those who so desire may make memorial donations to SPCA of Brevard at Titusville, Florida.

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